Buckle

ABSTRACT

THE BUCKLE IS FOR THE INTERCONNECTING OF TWO BAND PARTS AND HAS A BASE WITH SIDE FLANGES, AN OPENING AND RECESS AND A DOUBLE ARM LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SIDE FLANGES. ONE BAND PART IS ATTACHED TO SAID BASE THROUGH SAID OPENING AND THE OTHER BAND PART EXTENDS BETWEEN SAID BASE AND SAID ARM WHEREBY PIVOTING OF SAID ARM IN ONE DIREACTION CAUSES SAID SECOND BAND PART TO BE BENT INTO SAID BASE RECESS WITH TWO SPACED LOCKING EDGES OF SAID ARM ENGAGING SAID SECOND BAND BENT PORTION ABOVE SIDE EDGES OF SAID BASE RECESS TO RETAIN SAID SECOND BAND PART ON SAID BUCKLE.

p 1 s. w. BENGTSSON BUCKLE Filed March 20, 1969 Ki -re INVGNTOZ SIGU RD WALTER BENGTSSOIY RTTO 5Y5 United States Patent 3,608,158 BUCKLE Sigurd Walter Bengtsson, 17 Bruksgatan, 414 51 Goteborg, Sweden Filed Mar. 20, 1969, Ser. No. 808,810 Claims priority, application Sweden, Mar. 21, 1968, 3,811/ 68 Int. Cl. A44b 11/12 US. Cl. 24170 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The buckle is for the interconnection of two band parts and has a base plate with side flanges, an opening and recess and a double arm lever pivotally mounted between side flanges. One band part is attached to said base through said opening and the other band part extends between said base and said arm whereby pivoting of said arm in one direction causes said second band part to be bent into said base recess with two spaced locking edges of said arm engaging said second band bent portion above side edges of said base recess to retain said second band part on said buckle.

The connecting means now generally used for interconnecting parts of bands or straps comprise buckles of the old tongue and frame type which, however, suffer from certain inconveniences. Such buckles require a relatively long time for fastening and releasing. When buckles of this old type are used for r-ucksacks, it is difficult for the carrier to operate the buckle when the rucksack is carried on his back and the buckle is not directly visible by the carrier. The invention relates to a buckle to be used on schoolsatchels, and other satchels, knapsacks, articles of dress, braces or suspenders, and the like, and has for its object a buckle permitting a speedy locking and unlocking by a simple operation, also when the buckle is not directly visible by the person operating the same.

The invention relates to a buckle designed for interconnection of two band parts comprising a base plate attachable to a first one of said band parts and having two opposite side flanges, and a locking hook in the form of a double-armed angular lever pivotally mounted between the side flanges, one arm of said lever adapted to engage in the second one of said band parts insertable between the side flanges of the base plate for releasably connecting the second hand part to the base plate. In a prior buckle of this type, the buckle is composed of a relatively great number of parts and has a spring device on which the action of the buckle depends. As compared with this prior buckle the present invention permits a very simple construction and requires no spring. Thus it may consist of two parts only. According to the invention said second arm of the angular lever is made integrally with and designed for operation of said first arm which latter in operative position is adapted to force a portion of the second band part into a recess in the base plate whereby said second hand part is locked to the base plate. Preferably said first arm of the locking hook at its extreme end is formed with two locking edges parallel with the pivot axis of the locking hook and with two opposite side edges of said recess, a first one of these locking edges adapted in locking position to press said portion of the second band part at the entrance of this band part into the recess against a first one of said side edges, and the second locking edge of said first arm, in locking position, directed against the second side edge of said recess so as to hold the said second band part at its exit from said recess. By this arrangement in the operation of the buckle said second hand part will be securely held fast to the base plate and a speedy locking and unlocking will be possible. Said locking hook is easily 3,608,158 Patented Sept. 28, 1971 ice operable by the carrier of the rucksack or the like also when it is carried on carriers back and is not directly visible by him. Owing to its great simplicity, the buckle is also cheap to manufacture.

The invention will be defined by the claim and be made more clear in detail by the following description of an embodiment of the invention chosen as an example. FIG. 1 shows a vertical section of the buckle perpendicular to the pivot axis of the locking hook which is in open position. FIG. 2 is a similar view with said hook in locking position, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same buckle.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a base plate having two opposite parallel side flanges 11 the mutual distance of which corresponds to the width of the band or strap parts. The base plate has an oblong opening 12 the longitudinal direction of which extends perpendicular to the flanges. In this opening a loop of the one band part 13 is secured whereas the free end of the second band part 14 may be inserted between the side flanges over the longitudinal front side 15 of the base plate. An extended recess 16 is also provided in the base plate parallel with the opening 12 and having substantially the same length as the distance between the flanges 11 and located between these flanges. A locking hook generally indcated by A is pivotally mounted in the side flanges by pivot pins 17 the axis of which is parallel with the slot 12. Said locking hook has the shape of an angular lever the one shorter arm of which is denoted by 18 and the other longer arm by 19 the latter arm serving as a handle. The short arm 18 has an end surface 20 which is parallel with the pivot axis of the lever. This end surface 20 together with a lateral surface 21 of the arm facing substantially to the free end of the longer arm 19 forms an acute angle and a relatively sharp edge 23 substantially parallel with the pivot axis of the lever. The opposite edge portion 22 of the lever arm arm 18 is limited by the opposite lateral surface 21' and the end surface 20 of the arm which surfaces together form an obtuse angle.

In open or unlocked position the locking hook A is substantially in the position shown by FIG. 1 in which the handle arm 19 extends outwards from the plate 10 and the end surface 20 of the arm 18 is in a position substantially perpendicular to the surface 15 of the base plate. In this position of the lever the free end of the band part 14 may be inserted between the lever A and the surface 15 of the base plate and then be secured to the buckle by swinging the lever clockwise about to the position in FIG. 2 in which the arm 18 forces a portion 25 of the band into the recess 16 bending said portion at the same time. In this position the obtuse edge 22 of the lever arm exerts a pressure on the band 14 against the rear or entrance edge 25 of the recess 16. The opposite side surface 26 of said recess is inclined in such a manner that the recess widens towards the surface 15 of the base plate, and the edge 23 normally with less pressure than that of the edge 22 bears against the band at the side surface or edge 26 where the band 14 extends out from the recess 16. By the friction between the lever arm 18 and the bend 24 of the band 14 the latter will be held reliably in the locked position since a pull in the band shown by the arrow in FIG. 2 will cause the acute edge 23 of the hook to engage more effectively or deeper in the band and the edge 22 of the hook increases its pressure against the band. The band 14 is readily released by swinging the hook A in counterclockwise direction so that the edges 22 and 23 of the hook are disengaged from the band 14.

The pivot pins 17 are preferably formed integrally with the lever 18, 19 and are disengaged from their bearing holes 27 by making use of the resiliency of the side flanges 11. If desired, the end surfaces 28 of the pins 17 may form an oblique angle to the pivot axis for facilitating the insertion of the pins into their bearing holes. The entire buckle is preferably made from suitable plastic material.

The invention is not limited to the shapes of the parts shown in the drawing. The recess 16 may, for example, extend through the plate 10 forming an opening therein.

I claim:

1. A buckle designed for interconnection of two bands parts comprising a base plate attachable to a first one of said band parts and having two opposite side flanges, a locking hook in the form of a double-armed angular lever pivotally mounted between the side flanges, the extreme end of the first arm of said lever being formed with two spaced locking edges parallel with the pivot axis of said lever, the second arm of said lever being adapted to serve as a handle for operating the lever, a recess located in said base plate, the recess having two opposite side edges parallel with said axis and located at a larger distance from each other than said locking edges, the second one of said band parts being insertable between the base plate and the locking hook in unlocking position of the latter in substantially parallel direction with said first band part, said first arm being adapted in locking position to force an intermediate bent portion of said second hand part into said recess, the first of said locking edges being in locking position located adjacent the first of said side edges and adapted to press said bent portion at the entrance thereof into the recess against the first of said side edges, the second locking edge of said first armin locking position being located adjacent the second of said side edges and adapted in cooperation with the second side edge of said recess to hold fast said bent portion at its exit from said recess, and said two locking edges of said first arm being separated by a substantially plane end surface on said first arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,884 1/1845 Beverly 24-170 318,053 5/1885 Thurlow 24-170 815,205 3 l 906 Nelson 24l70UX 1,380,705 6/1921 Conner 24-470 2,442,266 5/1948 Davis 24l70UX 2,764,807 10/1956 Dorman 2420S.15UX 3,252,193 5 1966 Matthews 24-170 3,354,518 11/1967 Hoover 24134 BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner 

